Weight loss is something that many people struggle with to one degree or another. The older we get the harder it is to keep those extra kilos off too. Then there is the problem of obesity, where carrying the extra weight is sometimes not the only issue.
Being very overweight can lead to numerous other health problems, most notably diabetes and heart disease. In other words, if obesity is not dealt with and the person’s weight drastically reduced, a life-threatening medical condition may result.
Excessive weight around the abdomen can put pressure on the abdominal wall and lead to hernia formation. People who carry extra weight are more prone to developing groin, umbilical, hiatal and post-surgical hernias. Hernias tend to enlarge over time, causing discomfort and physical limitations and in some people can also become life-threatening if left untreated.
Diet and exercise are always the most desirable way to shed excess weight and get into shape, but sometimes the process needs to be sped up when the person’s health may be at risk.
Bariatric surgery is the solution to this. Let’s take a closer look at bariatric surgery and how it can solve your weight problems.
What Is Bariatric Surgery Exactly?
To be clear, bariatric surgery is not one single procedure. It’s actually a series of different procedures that have been devised to provide a solution to excessive weight gain. Some procedures are more common than others, and some are less complex to perform.
Common bariatric surgery procedures include:
- The sleeve gastrectomy – A large section of the stomach is removed so it forms a narrow sleeve. The idea of vastly reducing stomach size is so patients will feel less hungry and will fill-up after small meals, and thus drop excess weight.
- Gastric bypass surgery – An operation that reduces the stomach size by up to 90%. The top of the stomach is detached. A small pouch is then placed in that location. This pouch is then joined up to the small intestine and most of the stomach is bypassed, resulting in more weight loss.
- Gastric banding (lap-band) – A procedure performed through keyhole surgery. A silicon band is attached near the entrance to the stomach. It slows down eating and helps reduce portion size so patients don’t eat anywhere near as much.
- The gastric balloon – A balloon is placed into the stomach through the mouth. It’s then filled with a saline solution to reduce the capacity of the stomach and food intake.
- Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty – Stomach reduction by up to 60% is achieved with this bariatric procedure. The stomach is partitioned with sutures so food passes more slowly from the upper section into the lower section. This reduces hunger and the patient feels full quickly.
- Bariatric revision surgery – Following a bariatric procedure, some patients may not have achieved their weight loss goals, so revision surgery is performed to either fix side effects or offer patients another opportunity for weight loss.
All of the above procedures are designed to help people lose weight faster than they could by diet and exercise alone.
In simple terms, we gain weight when we consume more calories than we burn off. Therefore, reducing calorie intake is the obvious solution to reducing excess body fat. This is where bariatric surgery plays a major role in the battle against weight gain, and the struggle to lose weight.
Each bariatric procedure works to reduce the capacity of the stomach in one form or another. This leads to the patient feeling full very quickly when they do eat and also suppresses hunger so the urge to eat is nowhere near as prevalent. Way less calories get consumed and the patient starts shedding those excess kilograms within a reasonably short space of time.
Bariatric Surgery Can Help Solve Your Weight Loss problems
These surgical procedures might not be required by everyone attempting to drop extra body weight, but bariatric surgery has achieved many successful outcomes for people who are really struggling to lose weight, or who are at risk of developing other serious medical conditions due to obesity.
The advantage of stomach reduction through surgical procedures ensures the patient eats far less calories and loses the excess weight in a much faster time frame. This is vitally important if serious medical conditions could otherwise result.
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